Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the inaugural episode of Country History X. We start by telling the crazy story of how a box of unheard and currently-unpublished George Jones reel-to-reel master tapes ended up being used as the bond collateral for two international drug smugglers.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic will not have a hard and fast end date. It’s not just the risk to the public, but the potential concern for a public relations issue surrounding the polarizing subject of COVID-19 that has the prospects for live music later in 2021 still looking like a mixed bag.
Put Rusty Young right up there with the greatest West Coast twangers who instilled an appreciation for country sounds in a generation of psychedelic rockers, and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that country music could be cool. He was a pioneer of country rock.
Now let’s not get too ahead of ourselves here. But if you know anything about Alan Jackson and awards shows, you know he’s the ultimate wild card. He’s got no truck or patience for your pedantics, and dog and pony awards show nonsense.
Over the last couple of weeks there’s been a big fight in Nashville over the fate of the iconic venue called the Exit/In. Opened in 1971, and named for the fact that the entrance was in the back, it’s one of those venues that’s housed so many memories and iconic moments.
To be country again, you had to have been country in the first place, at least at some point. And country is as country does. You want to be country? Then be country. Don’t tell us about being country. Chances are if you’re telling us how country you are, it’s because it’s not self-evident you’re country.
Country History X is the history of country music, told one story at a time. Instead of starting at the very beginning of the genre, or zeroing in on an artist or an era, Country History X will be a series of calorie-rich podcasts that select out super-compelling stories.
It’s not often you see an album dart dramatically up in the charts some five months after it’s been released, but such is the case for the second installment of Sturgill Simpson’s foray into bluegrass, ‘Cuttin Grass Vol. 2 – The Cowboy Arms Sessions’ originally released on December 11th, 2020
The transformation of this guy from pandering for radio play to a dude writing and singing good ol’ country songs is quite remarkable. It’s not a traditional country record. But it’s not exactly pop country either. It’s Canaan country.
Zach Bryan may have been regarded as an amateur before. But after his performance at the Grand Ole Opry, it doesn’t feel fitting to refer to him as a “viral songwriter” anymore. He’s just Zach Bryan, and folks should be paying attention.
Originally from Wichita, Kansas and now residing in L.A., Katie Jo can speak to the refugees of modern society with her Midwest authenticity mixed with a style sense influenced from the Bakersfield Sound, rockabilly, and classic country. This results in a both fun and moving work.
The Saving Country Music Top 25 Current Playlist is built to keep you informed on all the best songs and albums coming out right here, right now in country and roots music. It’s available on most all streaming formats. New songs have just been added.
It was eight years ago this summer that country music legend and Hall of Famer Randy Travis suffered a series of catastrophic health issues the ultimately took one of the greatest voices ever in country music away from us. A stroke significant affected his speech.
“I just want to play shows. Politics’ job is to divide — that’s how you win elections. Those things that unite us are music and sports. The times when, whether you’re a Democrat or Republican or whatever, you throw your arm around the person next to you. We become one. We need that.”
Alan Jackson has announced his new 21-song album ‘Where Have You Gone’ to be released on May 14th after a nearly six year delay in new music. Over that period, many of Alan Jackson’s fans wondered why the usually prolific and well-ordered country star was taking so long for new music.
In the latest sign that viral songwriting sensation turned singer/songwriting powerhouse Zach Bryan has reached the next level, he’s been tapped for one of the highest distinctions any up-and-coming artist in country music can be bestowed with—a Grand Ole Opry debut.
Of course you usually say nice things upon someone’s passing. But when Dolly Parton said, “I wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t been there” as she eulogized Uncle Bill after his passing on Wednesday, April 7th at the age of 85, you known it’s the honest truth.
Yes, John Schneider. The guy from that show. And no, I never thought I would be reviewing an album from Bo Duke either. But being a sucker for country trucker songs and hearing he released an album of them, I got sucked in.
Two of independent country and roots music’s biggest success stories have just been cast in a highly-anticipated upcoming film by legendary director Martin Scorsese. Both Sturgill Simpson and Jason Isbell will be part of the primary cast of “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
Along with diminutively characterizing Barnes as just “another young-ish white man,” ‘Pitchfork’ went after the biography and back story of Barnes, saying he reinforced “the mythology of a white, male, ‘real’ country music [performer] whose legitimacy relies wholly on exclusion.”
Well well well. If you want to get aroused about the impending musical possibilities upcoming now that COVID-19 vaccines are being rolled out en masse and it appears at least some semblance of live music normalcy is in the offing, take a look at what transpired this weekend.
Leave behind all of that defanged country, moldy folk, reconstituted indie rock, derivative roots pop, and pallid white boy soul they try to peddle these days as “Americana,” and pin your ears to what this virtually unknown mother from middle America is doing, because it’s leagues better than most.
With Alan Jackson behind it, you know the album’s going to be country. For over 30 years, Jackson has been like a bulwark against the incursion of pop, he’s still doing what he can from his perch as a country music elder statesman to keep it on track.
This is not a country record. This is a Christian record. But along with turning in her 1st volume of exclusively religious material, Carrie Underwood might have also delivered her most country record yet, not just from the nature of the material, but the rootsy aspect of some of the music.
